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News focused on funding & financing
nature-based solutions
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Leading with Recreation and Economic Development in the Appalachians
The Appalachians, a global biodiversity hot spot and climate refuge, is one of the nation’s top conservation priorities. Rugged, remote and home to many economically disadvantaged communities, the Southern and Central Apps contain unparalleled freshwater diversity, significant carbon stores and resilient landscapes capable of facilitating human and wildlife adaptation to climate change. Funding its protection has proved a formidable goal. Several promising efforts are underway to meet this challenge including the Open Space Institute’s Resilience Landscapes Initiative, the Nature Conservancy’s Appalachian Grants Program and Appalachia Rising.
Enter the Trust for Public Land (TPL) with a bold strategy to finance the region’s protection. With its trademark emphasis on land and people and $10 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission, its Appalachian Outdoors United Program seeks to strengthen local economies through outdoor recreation.The initiative will map key trail projects across the region and help communities implement those with the greatest potential to spur economic development and increase the quality of life of its residents, particularly those in economically underserved areas. It will result, TPL hopes, in community forests, new trails and other open space designations that will harness the recreational economy across eight states. Grounded in economic and community well-being, the effort has the potential to deliver a range of other benefits, including biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation and adaptation.
“We are very excited by the prospect of using new outdoor recreation investments to boost Appalachia’s economy, community health and quality of life,” said JT Horn, TPL’s Director of its National Trails Initiative. “We also believe that new community-based conservation projects will enhance climate resilience, connectivity for species movement, and flood resilience.” Even with the Commission’s funding, TPL can’t do this work alone. It will need to leverage another $8 million in public and private investment to achieve the vision. It seems a small price to pay for a promising approach to achieve the intertwined goals of conservation and community economic development.
It was great to see so many of you this month, including CFN Boot Camp alumni and Roundtable participants, at Rally and later at Climate Week. Nature played a prominent role at Climate Week, with one-quarter of all sessions focused on this topic! We were especially glad to participate in a session spearheaded by Boot Camp alum Laura Mondragon, of the Montgomery County Green Bank, on financing resilient infrastructure. Countries across the globe may be backsliding on their climate commitments, but it was heartening to see such enthusiasm for conserving and restoring nature this month.
Peter Howell
Executive Director
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Laura Mondragon of the Montgomery County Green Bank, left, with Helen Ariza of AEI Consultants, center, and Tee Thomas of Quantified Ventures, discuss the opportunities and challenges of turning climate resilience into an investable asset class.
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While Shalini Vajjhala of the Pre Collective leads a discussion on scaling resilience finance.
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2025 State of the Voluntary Carbon Market
This year's Ecosystem Marketplace report continues to follow movement on global supply and demand and refinements in quality and integrity in the voluntary carbon market. The report touches on key trends and developments, including the growing focus on nature-based solutions, carbon removal, and interoperatibility with international markets. (Ecosystem Marketplace)
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Investing in Natural Capital: Lessons from the American West
This recent report from Drew Bennett and Jocelyn Wulf at the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute describes the capital structures, governance models, and ecological and economic outcomes of four western conservation finance projects. The report’s analysis of these projects, ranging from Blue Forest’s forest resilience bond to a conservation and carbon credit project in southeast Colorado, offers lessons for strategies for valuing natural capital and investing in resilience, and the challenges that remain. (University of Wyoming)
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New Report on Nature for Insurance
This recent report from the Environmental Defense Fund explores opportunities to integrate nature-based risk reduction in insurance products. (Environmental Defense Fund)
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Forest Service Invests $3.1 Million to Expand Comunity Forests Nationwide
The USDA Forest Service is awarding $3.1 million in fiscal year 2025 to create or expand eight community forests across the country. These investments ensure that forests are vital to local social, economic, and ecological well-being remain accessible, sustainably managed, and stewarded by local communities. (USDA Forest Service)
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| Note: Given the current government shut-down, the status of federal grant opportunities is unclear.
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| | Virtual & In-Person Events
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| Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum
In-person: Quincy Hall
October 7 - 8, 2025
Midwest Community Land Trust Regional Conference
Madison, WI
October 7 - 9, 2025
Croatan Institute Film Screening of Soil Wealth: Investing in Regenerative Agriculture
Minneapolis, MN
In-person: The Capri Theatre
October 8, 2025
Australian Land Conservation Alliance Annual Conference
Cairns, QLD
October 7 - 10, 2025
Trust for Public Land Communities of Practice Programming with Purpose
Webinar series
October 16, December 11, 2025
February 12, April 9, June 11, 2026
Register by October 16
Restore America's Estuaries 2025 Living Shorelines Tech Transfer
New Haven, CT
In-person: Omni Hotel
October 29 - 30, 2025
National Association of Environmental Professionals 2026 Conference: Call for Abstracts
Anchorage, AK
Abstracts Due: November 1, 2025
2025 Regional Conservation Partnership Network Gathering
Amherst, MA
In-person: UMass Amherst
November 6, 2025
OCTO Webinar: New WCPA Practice Guidance for Protect and Conserved Area Finance
Virtual
November 18, 2025
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New York
Scenic HudsonDirector of Land Conservation and Easement Stewardship New York
Director of Climate and Energy Policy
Northeast Coastal Resilience Manager
Vermont
Conservation Manager
Maine
Senior Shorebird Scientist
Massachusetts
South
Education Specialist
Texas
Natural Resources Specialist
Texas
Associate Director, Central Floodplains Conservation
Missouri
Associate Director, Central Floodplains Conservation
Missouri
Conservation and Recovery Specialist
Florida
Southeast
Senior Manager, Southeast Forestry - Productivity
Southeast Conservation Director
Southwest
Forest Program Contract Manager
Arizona
Associate Restoration Scientist
California
Senior Director, Fish Forever Pacific Islands
Hawai'i
Director, Indigenous and Community-Based Ocean Governance
Hawai'i
Northwest
Executive and Board Operations Manager
Montana
Reserve Manager
Washington
Private Land Biologist
Idaho
Remote
Director of Asia Pacific Conservation
Remote in USA or Asia Pacific region
Director of Partnerships and Project Expansion
and
Project and Science Associate
and
Data Science Manager
Fellowships
Alabama, Arizona, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas
Great Lakes Policy Fellow
Illinois or Washington, D.C.
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